Board adopts ad hoc immigration task‑force package: anti‑commandeering policy direction, quarterly sheriff reporting and $100,000 for flexible family support
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Summary
The Board received the ad hoc immigration task‑force report, voted to adopt a policy package requiring judicial warrants for access to non‑public county spaces, to accept sheriff quarterly reporting and to allocate $100,000 from Fund Center 106 to the Community Foundation for flexible emergency support to children and families; staff directed to return with mobile resource pilot options and implementation details.
The Board of Supervisors on April 7 received a report from an ad hoc immigration task force, accepted several transparency measures with the sheriff’s office and approved a package of actions to support immigrant families.
County counsel outlined the legal framework in California governing local interactions with federal immigration authorities and clarified that local entities may impose viewpoint‑neutral restrictions on certain county spaces and prohibit non‑public access unless a federal judicial warrant is presented. The ad hoc task force — formed after a Truth Act forum in January — gathered input from county departments and more than 50 immigrant‑serving organizations and recommended three lines of work: transparency measures, short‑term flexible resources and improved service coordination.
The board acted on the package as a single motion. Key elements the board approved were:
• Adoption of a formal operational policy and protocol requiring judicial warrants for access to non‑public areas of county facilities and an anti‑commandeering statement to clarify operational expectations;
• Acceptance of quarterly reporting by the Sheriff’s Office on transfers to federal immigration authorities, public availability of an FAQ brochure and the Sheriff’s Truth Act data portal; and
• Allocation of $100,000 from Fund Center 106 (an existing board reserve for emergent priorities) to the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County to seed a SLO County Children Fund aimed at timely, flexible support for families and children impacted by immigration enforcement. The Community Foundation said the allocation would be administered through its One Community Fund process to deliver flexible, targeted assistance.
The motion also directed staff to return with proposals for a mobile resource pilot that would deploy multilingual outreach and coordinated services to immigrant families, seniors, veterans and other underserved residents, including options for third‑party administration and measurable performance metrics. The board also requested work to inventory existing county services and non‑profit capacity to identify gaps.
The decision followed extended public comment from dozens of residents, community organizers and legal advocates who urged stronger protection of immigrant families and immediate flexible funding for affected households. Several speakers asked the board to adopt stronger prohibitions on ICE access to county property and to prioritize community‑based organizations in any fund distribution. County staff and ad hoc committee members said the $100,000 is a starting allocation from a reserve set aside for emergent board priorities and the Community Foundation partnership is intended to leverage private matching and expedite deployment.
Two supervisors voted no on the full package: Supervisor Perchong (recorded as "no") and Supervisor Moreno (recorded as "no"); the motion passed with a majority. The board instructed staff to return with the legal language for the operational protocol and an implementation plan for the mobile resource pilot and Community Foundation grant criteria.
What’s next: County counsel and staff will draft the judicial‑warrant access protocol and anti‑commandeering language, the Community Foundation will receive and administer the $100,000 under a targeted One Community Fund round, and staff will return with a mobile resource pilot plan and performance metrics for board review.
